Information management and synchronous communications system with menu generation, and handwriting and voice modification of orders

ABSTRACT

An information management and synchronous communications system and method facilitates database equilibrium and synchronization with wired, wireless and Web-based systems, user-friendly and efficient generation of computerized menus and reservations with handwritten/voice modifications for restaurants and other applications that utilize equipment with nonstandard graphical formats, display sizes and/or applications for use in remote data entry, information management and communication with host computer, digital input device or, remote pager via standard hardwired connection, the internet, a wireless link, printer or the like.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser.No. 09/400,413, filed Sep. 21, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,384,850. Thecontents of application Ser. No. 09/400,413 are incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an information management and synchronouscommunications system and method for generation of computerized menusfor restaurants and other applications with specialized display andsynchronous communications requirements related to, for example, the useof equipment or sore with non-PC-standard graphical formats, displaysizes and/or applications for use in remote data entry, informationmanagement and synchronous communication between host computer, digitalinput device or remote pager via standard hardwired connection, theinternet, a wireless link, smart phone or the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

While computers have dramatically altered many aspects of modern life,pen and paper have prevailed in the hospitality industry, e.g., forrestaurant ordering, reservations and wait-list management, because oftheir simplicity, ease of training and operational speed. For example,ordering prepared foods has historically been done verbally, eitherdirectly to a waiter or over the telephone, whereupon the placed orderis recorded on paper by the recipient or instantly filled.

Although not previously adapted for wide-scale use in the hospitalityindustry, various forms of digital wireless communication devices are incommon use, e.g., digital wireless messengers and pagers. Also in commonuse are portable laptop and handheld devices. However, user-friendlyinformation management and communication capability not requiringextensive computer expertise has not heretofore been available for usein everyday life such as for restaurant ordering, reservations andwait-list management, Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent onpersonal digital assistant (“PDA”) development seeking to produce asmall, light-weight and inexpensive device that could be adapted to suchuses; yet none have yielded a satisfactory solution.

One of the inherent shortcomings of PDA type devices is that, as theystrive for small size, low weight and low cost, they must compromise thesize and clarity of the operator display medium interface itself, whichin most cases is one of a variety of LCD (liquid crystal display) typedevices. As the size of the display shrinks, the amount of informationthat may be displayed at any one point or time is commensuratelydecreased, typically requiring multiple screens and displays to displayinformation to the operator. This reduces the overall utility of thedevice. Additionally, the smaller display and keyboard results in anon-optimal operator interface, which slows down operation and is thusunacceptable for the time criticality of ordering, reservation andwait-list management and other similar applications. This necessitatesmany design compromises which in the aggregate have resulted in limitedacceptance of PDA type devices in the restaurant and hospitality fields.

Many of the negatives prevalent in earlier devices have been eliminated,but, to date, there is still no integrated solution to theordering/waitlist/reservation problem discussed above. With the adventof the Palm® and other handheld wireless devices, however, the effortsto make such devices ubiquitous have begun to bear fruit at least insome areas, e.g., personal calendars. However, substantial use of suchdevices in the restaurant and hospitality context has not occurred todate. As discussed above, at least one of the reasons PDAs have not beenquickly assimilated into the restaurant and hospitality industries isthat their small display sizes are not readily amenable to display ofmenus as they are commonly printed on paper or displayed on, e.g.,large, color desktop computer screens. Another reason is that softwarefor fully realizing the potential for wireless handheld computingdevices has not previously been available. Such features would includefast and automatic synchronization between a central database andmultiple handheld devices, synchronization and communication between aWorld Wide Web (“Web”) server and multiple handheld devices, awell-defined application program interface (“API”) that enables thirdparties such as point of sale (“POS”) companies, affinity programcompanies and internet content providers to fully integrate withcomputerized hospitality applications, real-time communication over theinternet with direct connections or regular modem dialup connections andsupport for batch processing that can be done periodically throughoutthe day to keep multiple sites in synch with the central database. Asingle point of entry for all hospitality applications to communicatewith one another wirelessly has also previously been unavailable. Such asingle point of entry would work to keep all wireless handheld devicesand linked Web sites in synch with the backoffice server (centraldatabase) so that the different components are in equilibrium at anygiven time and an overall consistency is achieved. For example, areservation made online would be automatically communicated to thebackoffice server and then synchronized with all the wireless handhelddevices wirelessly. Similarly, changes made on any of the wirelesshandheld devices would be reflected instantaneously on the backofficeserver, Web pages and the other handheld devices.

For the foregoing reasons, paper-based ordering, waitlist andreservations management have persisted in the face of widespreadcomputerization in practically all areas of commerce. At most,computerization of these functions has been largely limited to fixedcomputer solutions, i.e., desktop or mainframe, because of the problemsheretofore faced in configuring wireless handheld devices andmaintaining database synchronization for such applications.Specifically, the unavailability of any simple technique for creatingrestaurant menus and the like for use in a limited display area wirelesshandheld device or that is compatible with ordering over the internethas prevented widespread adoption of computerization in the hospitalityindustry. Without a viable solution for this problem, organizations havenot made the efforts or investments to establish automated interfaces tohandheld and Web site menus and ordering options.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedinformation management and synchronous communications system and methodwhich facilitates user-friendly and efficient generation of computerizedmenus for restaurants and other applications that utilize equipment withnon-PC-standard graphical formats, display sizes and/or applications.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedinformation management and synchronous communications system and methodwhich provides for entry, management and communication of informationfrom the operator as well as to and from another computer, Web pagemenu, remote digital device using a standard hardwired connection, theinternet or a wireless link.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedinformation management and synchronous communications system which issmall, affordable and lightweight yet incorporates a user-friendlyoperator interface and displays menus in a readily comprehensibleformat.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a synchronousinformation management and communications system which enables automaticupdating of both wireless and internet menu systems when a new menu itemis added, modified or deleted from any element of the system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are provided bya synchronous information management and communications system andmethod optimized for simplicity of operation which incorporates menugeneration for creation of menus to be used with wireless remotehandheld computer and PDA devices, the internet or any application wheresimple and efficient generation of menus is appropriate. The menugeneration approach of the present invention includes a desktop softwareapplication that enables the rapid creation and building of a menu andprovides a means to instantly download the menu configuration onto,e.g., a handheld device or Web page and to seamlessly interface withstandard point of sale (“POS”) systems to enable automatic databaseupdates and communication exchanges when a change or input occurs in anyof the other system elements. To solve the above and other relatedproblems, an information management and communications system isprovided which results in a dramatic reduction in the amount of time,and hence cost, to generate and maintain computerized menus for, e.g.,restaurants and other related applications that utilize non-PC-standardgraphical formats, display sizes or applications.

The menu generation approach of the present invention has manyadvantages over previous approaches in solving the problem of convertingpaper-based menus or Windows® PC-based menu screens to small PDA-sizeddisplays and Web pages. In one embodiment, the present invention is asoftware tool for building a menu, optimizing the process of how themenu can be downloaded to either a handheld device or Web page, andmaking manual or automatic modifications to the menu after initialcreation.

Manual modifications to the generated menus include handwritten screencaptures and/or voice recorded message captures coupled with thestandard menus and modifiers generated according to standard choices .Such manual modifications enable an extremely rapid and intuitiveinterface to enhance operations and further optimize the overalloperator interface. This approach solves a long-standing, operationalissue in restaurant/hotel/casino food/drink ordering when customers wantsomething unusual and not anticipated and available through normalcomputerized selections. As seen in FIG. 8, the operator screen on thehand-held can capture handwritten information specific to a customersrequests directly on the touch-sensitive screen of the wirelesscomputing device. This additional information can then be coupled withthe fixed menu and modifier information generated automatically from thehospitality application software and the combined message can be sent toa restaurant point of sale (POS) system, printer or/or display system.This unique operator interface enables universal languages and anunlimited set of information to be manually communicated and exchanged.The resultant combined message of one or more fixed indications selectedfrom a menu of a device such as a band-held, and dynamic handwrittenmessages and/or data provides an even more powerful tool than eithermodality used independently.

For example a restaurant server taking a drink order could select from amenu of her hand-held device's screen “Iced Tea”, and then manuallywrite in the literal screen of her hand-held “with lemon” as shown inFIG. 8. The manually-written information could, for example, be printedor displayed in front of a bartender preparing the drink order. Theindication “Iced Tea” as selected from a menu of the hand-held wouldalso be presented to the bartender, perhaps by printing and/or screendisplay. The server can also select any printer from within thehospitality establishment directly from the operator interface on thescreen of the hand-held and have either the order or the receipt printedout where it is most convenient and efficient Similarly, a server takinga drink order could select from a menu of her hand-held device's screen“Iced Tea”, and then record the voice message “with lemon” using herhand-held device integral microphone. The recorded information could,for example, be played on a speaker attached to a computer, POS system,or the like located near the bartender or chef preparing the order. Theindication “Iced Tea” as selected from a menu of the hand-held wouldalso be presented to the bartender/chef, perhaps by printing and/orscreen display. Both the literal screen capture method and the voicerecorded message method combine the power of automatic fixed menugeneration with the expanded flexibility to resolve operational issuesthat exist throughout the hospitality market without this innovativesolution. Additionally, in certain embodiments, hand-writing and voicerecognition technologies can be utilized to convert the manual operatorinputs into appropriate text messages which can be combined with thecomputer generated menu options to convey the combined information to,for example, a bartender or chef.

Similarly, hand-held devices can link the above innovations toindividual customers at specific tables through a graphical userinterface on the hand-held screen that assigns each customer a numberwithin a table. For example, table 20 might have 6 customers (1-6) andeach customer has a different order, By enabling the linkage of theorders to specific customer positions within the table and accessiblefrom the hand-held screen, the servers can easily track and link thespecific orders to the specific customers.

The use of wireless handheld devices in the restaurant and hospitalityindustry is becoming increasingly pervasive as restaurant owners andmanagers become more aware of the benefits. With the proper wirelesshandheld system in place, restaurants can experience increased tableturns from improved server productivity and shorter order taking andcheck paying times. Restaurants and POS companies seeking to provide awireless handheld interface to their desktop-based POS systems or a Webpage equivalent face several challenges. These challenges includebuilding a menu using their existing database and transferring the menuonto handheld devices or Web pages that will interface with serverswirelessly or to restaurants/customers over the internet The menugeneration approach of the present invention is the first coherentsolution available to accomplish these objectives easily and allows onedevelopment effort to produce both the handheld and Web page formats,link them with the existing POS systems, and thus provides a way to turna complicated, time-consuming task into a simple process.

The information management and synchronous communications system of thepresent invention features include fast synchronization between acentral database and multiple handheld devices, synchronization andcommunication between a Web server and multiple handheld devices, awell-defined API that enables third parties such as POS companies,affinity program companies and internet content providers to fullyintegrate with computerized hospitality applications, real-timecommunication over the internet with direct connections or regular modemdialup connections and support for batch processing that can be doneperiodically throughout the day to keep multiple sites in synch with thecentral database.

The communication module also provides a single point of entry for allhospitality applications, e.g., reservations, frequent customerticketing, wait lists, etc. to communicate with one another wirelesslyand over the Web. This communication module is a layer that sits on topof any communication protocol and acts as an interface betweenhospitality applications and the communication protocol and can beeasily updated to work with a new communication protocol withoutmodifying the core hospitality applications. An exemplary system diagramof such a communications systemic relationship is shown in FIG. 9 andserves as an example of the power of the synchronization element of theinvention through a common, linked solution. A single point of entryworks to keep all wireless handheld devices and linked web sites insynch with the backoffice server applications so that the differentcomponents are in equilibrium at any given time and an overallconsistency is achieved. For example, a reservation made online can beautomatically communicated to the backoffice server and thensynchronized with all the wireless handheld devices wirelessly.Similarly, changes made on any of the wireless handheld devices arereflected instantaneously on the backoffice server Web pages and theother handheld devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features and advantages of the present invention can beappreciated more fully from the following description, with referencesto the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a window displayed on a computerdisplay screen which shows a hierarchical tree menu, modifier window andsub-modifier window in conformity with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a modifier dialog box inconformity with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a menu category dialog box inconformity with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a menu item dialog box inconformity with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a display customization dialogbox in conformity with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a communications control windowin conformity with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a point of sale interface on awireless handheld device for use in displaying page menus created inconformity with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an example of a literal, hand-written screen according toembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exemplary system diagram relating to embodiments of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Most personal computers today run under an operating system thatprovides a graphical user interface (“GUI”) for accessing userapplications. A GUI is used in the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention. Through an interface of windows, pull-down menus, andtoolbars, GUI operating systems have simplified PCs and have renderedcomputer technology more user friendly by eliminating the need tomemorize keyboard entry sequences. In addition, GUIs allow users tomanipulate their data as they would physical entities. For example, awindow can represent a file and the contents of the window can representthe records of the file. The window can be opened, closed, or set asideon a desktop as if it were an actual object. The records of the file canbe created, deleted, modified and arranged in a drag-and-drop fashion asif they also were physical objects. The most common GUI operatingsystems that provide this “object-oriented” environment for personalcomputers are Microsoft Windows® systems, including Windows CE® forhandheld wireless devices and the like. Generally, a particularapplication program presents information to a user through a window of aGUI by drawing images, graphics or text within the window region. Theuser, in turn, communicates with the application by “pointing” atgraphical objects in the window with a pointer that is controlled by ahand-operated pointing device, such as a mouse, or by pressing keys on akeyboard.

The use of menus is conventional in GUIs for software applications.Menus are typically utilized to provide end users of applications withavailable choices or processing options while using the applications.For example, in a typical desktop or interactive application, selectionof a “file” from a menu bar may cause display of a context menu whichprovides “file” options. File options can have additional subordinate orchild options associated with them. If a file option having subordinateoptions is selected, the child options are displayed in context in achild menu or submenu proximate to the selected parent option. One ormore of the child options provided in the child menu may have furthersubordinate options. Thus, such a menu system comprises cascading setsof menus which are displayable in context to show the parent/childrelationships between options of the context menu. A menu system of thistype is incorporated into the preferred embodiment of the invention. Thepreferred embodiment of the present invention uses typical hardwareelements in the form of a computer workstation, operating system andapplication software elements which configure the hardware elements foroperation in accordance with the present invention. A typicalworkstation platform includes hardware such as a central processing unit(“CPU”), e.g., a Pentium® microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard drive storagein which are stored various system and application programs and dataused within the workstation, modem, display screen, keyboard, mouse andoptional removable storage devices such as floppy drive or a CD ROMdrive. The workstation hardware is configured by software including anoperating system, e.g., Windows® 95, 98, NT or CE, networking software(including internet browsing software) and application softwarecomponents. The preferred embodiment also encompasses a typical fileserver platform including hardware such as a CPU, e.g., Pentium®microprocessor, RAM, ROM, hard drive, modem, and optional removablestorage devices, e.g., floppy or CD ROM drive. The server hardware isconfigured by software including an operating system, e.g., Windows® 95,98, NT or CE, networking software (including Web server software) anddatabase software.

A computer workstation for use in the preferred embodiment also includesa GUI. As is conventional, the GUI is configured to present a graphicaldisplay on the display screen arranged to resemble a single desktop.Execution of an application program involves one or more user interfaceobjects represented by windows and icons. Typically, there may beseveral windows and icons simultaneously present on the desktop anddisplaying information that is generated by different applications. Thewindow environment is generally part of the operating system softwarethat includes a collection of utility programs for controlling theoperation of the computer system. The computer system, in turn,interacts with application programs to provide higher levelfunctionality, including a direct interface with the user. Specifically,the application programs make use of operating system functions byissuing task commands to the operating system which then performs therequested task. For example, an application program may request that theoperating system display certain information on a window forpresentation to the user.

An aspect of the preferred embodiment of the information management andcommunications system of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 showsan example of the GUI provided by the operating system of the preferredembodiment of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1, thepreferred embodiment includes an intuitive GUI I from which to build amenu on a desktop or other computer. A hierarchical tree structure 2 isused to show the different relationships between the menu categories 3(e.g., soups, salads, appetizers, entrees, deserts, etc.), menu items 4(e.g., green salad, chicken caesar salad, etc.), menu modifiers 5 (e.g.,dressing, meat temperature, condiments, etc.) and menu sub-modifiers 6(e.g., Italian, French, ranch, bleu cheese, etc.).

The procedure followed in configuring a menu on the desktop PC and thendownloading the menu configuration onto the POS interface on thehandheld device in conformance with the preferred embodiment is asfollows.

The menu configuration application is launched by clicking on theappropriate icon on the desktop display screen. FIG. 1 will then bedisplayed. There are three windows on the screen shown in FIG. 1. Theleft window is the menu tree 7, also called the tree view. The top rightwindow is the Modifiers window 8 and the bottom right window is theSub-Modifiers window 9. The Sub-Modifiers window lists the sub-modifiersthat correspond to the modifier that is selected. The views on the rightare referred to as list views. There are several ways of invoking acommand, including using the menu options; using the context menu (rightmouse click); using the keyboard or using the toolbar icons. Forexample, if it is desired to add a category to the menu, the followingfour options are available: (1) clicking on Edit, Add Category; (2)right mouse clicking on Menu, then clicking on Add Category; (3)highlighting Menu, then typing Ctrl+T or (4) clicking on the AddCategory icon on the toolbar. To add an item to a category, thefollowing options are available: (1) highlighting the category to whichit is desired to add an item and then clicking on Edit>Add Item; (2)right mouse clicking on the desired category and then clicking on AddItem; (3) highlighting the desired category, then typing Ctrl+N or (4)clicking on the Add icon on the toolbar.

When building a menu, it should be kept in mind that the menu items arestored using a tree metaphor similar to how files are stored on a PCwith folders and subfolders. The menu structure is similar to theWindows® File Explorer in the way the items are organizedhierarchically. Below is an example of how an item may be configured:

Menu >> Entrees >> Red Meat >> NYStrip >> Vegetables >> Tomato >> Lettuce Meat Temperature >> Medium RareIn the above example, Menu is the root. Entrees is a menu category. RedMeat is an Entree category. NY Strip is a modifier. Vegetable is amodifier. Meat Temperature is a modifier. Medium Rare is a sub-modifierof Meat Temperature.

-   -   The steps taken in building a menu are as follows:

1. Add Modifiers;

2. Add Sub-Modifiers and link them to the Modifiers;

3. Create Menu categories;

4. Add menu items to the categories;

5. Assign Modifiers to the menu items;

6. Preview the menu on the POS emulator on the desktop PC;

7. Download the menu database to the handheld device.

To add modifiers, a user clicks on the inside of the Modifiers window,then (1) clicks on Edit>Add Modifier, (2) Presses Ctrl+N; (3) rightmouse clicks in the Modifiers window, then clicks on Add Modifiers or(4) clicks on the Add icon from the toolbar. If a menu is being builtfrom scratch, the procedure is to enter the Long Name, Short Name, Codeand Price in the Modifier dialog box 10 shown in FIG. 2. The Long Nameis the fill descriptive name of the item. The Short Name is theabbreviated name that will be displayed on the handheld device. The Codeis the numeric or alphanumeric code for the item. If there is anexisting database, the existing database can be browsed and menu itemsretrieved from the database. Clicking on the Browse button will bring upthe existing database of menu items. The item to be added is thenselected and “OK” is clicked. The fields will then be filled with theinformation from the database. Clicking on OK again will add the item asa modifier. To delete a modifier, the modifier is selected and theDelete key pressed on the keyboard. To edit a modifier, either themodifier is double clicked or the Enter key is pressed.

Sub-modifiers represent the last level of modifiers that can be assignedto a menu tree. To add sub-modifiers, the modifier to whichsub-modifiers are to be assigned is selected. Then, the focus is set onthe sub-modifier window by clicking inside the Sub-Modifier window asfollows: (1) clicking on Edit>Add Sub-Modifier; (2) pressing Ctrl+N; (3)right mouse clicking in the Sub-Modifiers window, then clicking on AddSub-Modifiers or (4) clicking on the Add icon from the toolbar. If amenu is being built from scratch, the procedure is to enter the LongName, Short Name, Code and Price in a Sub-Modifier dialog box similar tothe Modifier dialog box shown in FIG. 2. As with modifiers, the LongName is the full descriptive name of the item. The Short Name is theabbreviated name that will be displayed on the handheld device. The Codeis the numeric or alphanumeric code for the item. As before, if there isan existing database, the existing database can be browsed and menuitems retrieved from the database. Clicking on the Browse button willbring up the existing database of menu items. The item to be added isthen selected and OK clicked. The fields will then be filled with theinformation from the database. Clicking on OK again will add the item asa submodifier. To delete a sub-modifier, the sub-modifier is selectedand the Delete key depressed on the keyboard. To edit a sub-modifier,either the sub-modifier is double clicked or the Enter key is pressed.

Menu categories are created from the root. Some examples of categoriesare Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Entrees, Desserts, etc. The first step isto click on Menu in the menu tree window. Categories are added by (1)clicking on the Add Category icon from the toolbar; (2) clicking onEdit>Add Category or (3) pressing Ctrl+T. As shown in FIG. 3, MenuCategory dialog box 11 then appears in which to enter the Long and Shortnames for the menu category.

To add menu items to categories, the menu category which is being builtis clicked. For example, if items are being added to Appetizers, theAppetizers branch is clicked on. Then the Edit>Add Item is clicked on orCtrl+N pressed. As before, if a menu is being built from scratch, theprocedure is to enter the Long Name, Short Name, Code, Prep Time, Recipeand Price into the Menu Item dialog box 12 shown in FIG. 4. The LongName is the full descriptive name of the item. The Short Name is theabbreviated name that will be displayed on the handheld device. The Codeis the numeric or alphanumeric code for the item. Prep Time is the timeit takes to prepare the meal and Recipe would include preparationmethods and ingredients that are used in the preparation of the item. Ifthere is an existing database, the existing database can be browsed andmenu items retrieved from the database. Clicking on the Browse buttonwill bring up the existing database of menu items. The item to be addedis then selected and OK is clicked. The fields will then be filled withthe information from the database. Clicking on OK again will add theitem to the category.

Once the menu items have been entered, it may be desired to assign somemodifiers to the menu items. For example, it may be desired to assignmeat temperature to a steak order. To accomplish this, first themodifier to be assigned is selected, then the menu item on the tree viewthat is to be assigned the modifier is clicked on and then Edit>AssignModifier is clicked on. Or, the modifier can simply be dragged anddropped onto the menu item to link them. A dialog box is then displayedasking if this modifier is a required modifier. If it is a requiredmodifier, the display icon will be red but if it is a non-requiredmodifier the display icon will be green. As many modifiers as areapplicable can be assigned. If any changes are made to the modifiers,those changes will be automatically reflected throughout the menu tree.

Once the modifiers have been entered, it may be desired to assignsub-modifiers to the modifiers items. For example, it may be desired toadd Honey Mustard as a sub-modifier to Dressing. To accomplish this,first the modifier to be assigned a submodifier is selected, then thesub-modifier window is clicked on, then Edit>Add Sub Modifier is clickedon, Ctrl+N entered or the Add icon from the toolbar is clicked on. Or,the sub-modifier can simply be dragged and dropped onto the modifier tolink them.

When the menu has been completely configured, it can be previewed on aPOS emulator on the desktop to verify that the menu is correctlyconfigured before downloading it to the handheld device. To preview,File>Preview Database is clicked on or the Preview Database icon fromthe toolbar is clicked on. The handheld POS emulator on the desktop canthen be run. If the configuration is deemed acceptable, the handhelddevice is connected to the desktop PC to ensure that a connection hasbeen established; the POS application on the handheld device is exitedand File>Download Database is clicked on or the Download Database iconfrom the toolbar is clicked on. If there is an existing menu database onthe handheld device, the system will ask if the existing database shouldbe replaced. Yes is clicked if existing database replacement is desired.

A database function enables the creation of, e.g., a breakfast menu,lunch menu and dinner menu and downloading them to a handheld device.Functions available are (1) creating a new database; (2) opening anexisting database; (3) saving a database under a different name. Toaccess these functions, File is clicked on the menu bar.

The preferred embodiment encompasses customized layout, views and fonts.To set the focus on the view it is desired to change, click inside thedesired window. The main customizing dialog box is accessed by clickingon View>Customize View. A dialog box 13, as shown in FIG. 5, will bedisplayed including tabs that allow the following options: selection ofColumns to display in the list view by choosing and arranging the fieldsto display in the Modifiers and Sub-Modifiers windows; formattingColumns by specifying the column widths and justification; selectingFilter allows restricting the list to display only the items that meetcertain criteria. For example, display of modifiers with codes between500 and 550. Selecting Sort allows sorting the modifiers or submodifiersaccording to any of the available fields such as Name, Code or Price.Selecting Style facilitates choice of font type, style, size, etc. Tochange the font in a particular window, click on View>Fonts or rightmouse click in the desired window and then click on Fonts. To change thesize of the windows, drag the borders of the windows to expand orcontract the size of the windows. To change the column widths, simplydrag the edge of the column headers to increase or decrease the columnwidths.

A communications control program monitors and routes all communicationsto the appropriate devices. It continuously monitors the wirelessnetwork access point and all other devices connected to the network suchas pagers, remote devices, internet Web links and POS software. Anymessage received is decoded by the software, and then routed to theappropriate device. No user action is needed during operation of thesoftware once the application has been launched To launch thecommunications control module, a Wireless Traffic icon is clicked on thedesktop PC. When the program loads, the screen shown in FIG. 6 appears.Messages received are logged in the window 14 shown in FIG. 6 with atime stamp. The messages are also logged to a file on the hard drive.This provides a mechanism to monitor all traffic across the network(possibly useful for troubleshooting, or maintenance, but not necessaryfor normal operation). The program may be minimized so the screen is notdisplayed on the desktop, but it must be running for propercommunications to exist between all devices on the network.

As stated, the preferred embodiment of the present invention includesthe use of and compatibility with GUI technology. A drag-and-dropapproach is used for organizing the tree structure 2 in the generatedmenu. Drag-and-drop is also used for assigning modifiers (modifiers canbe dragged from the modifiers window 5 and dropped onto the menu item 4for assignment). In-cell editing results in fast editing of items inbuilding the menus. Customizable fonts enable users to change fonttypes, style and size. Customizable layouts enable users to resizewindows, change icons and display preferences. The inventive approachprovides for fully persistent storage between sessions, even if asession is improperly or abruptly terminated. Font and the tree state(i.e., which nodes are expanded/collapsed) are stored between sessions.Layout for modifiers and sub-modifiers list views (filter, columns,formatting, font, etc.) are stored between sessions. The last databaseused is likewise stored between sessions. Splitter views allow the userto see different views at the same time. Each view is displayed on itsown section of the screen. Views can be resized via the keyboard or amouse by simply dragging the splitter in the middle.

An automated function is provided to import existing POS databases intothe inventive menu generation system and, as discussed above withrespect to the detailed example of how to use the preferred embodiment,an automated download procedure is provided to transfer the desktopdatabase onto a handheld device and/or Web page. Also as discussed, thepreferred embodiment facilitates preview of the handheld device or Webpage version of the POS menu on the desktop before downloading andconfiguration. Customizable desktop menu generation is contemplated, asdiscussed above, in the form of customizable fonts, columns, layouts,etc. The inventive approach also includes templates for common modifiersthat can be assigned to similar menu items. The preferred embodimentalso supports multiple databases, thus providing for the creation andstoring of different menu databases on handheld devices such asbreakfast, lunch or dinner menus. The user can then select theappropriate database to reflect the time of day.

FIG. 7 is a schematic representation of a point of sale interface 15 foruse in displaying a page-type menu 16 created using the inventive menugeneration approach. As can be seen from FIG. 7, the page menu isdisplayed in a catalogue-like point-and-click format whereas the mastermenu, FIG. 1, is displayed as a hierarchical tree structure. Thus, aperson with little expertise can “page through” to complete atransaction with the POS interface and avoid having to review the entiremenu of FIG. 1 to place an order. A PDA or Web page format could appearlike FIG. 7 or the display could be configured for particularrequirements since fully customizable menu generation and display arecontemplated.

The POS interface on the handheld device supports pricing in thedatabase or querying prices from the POS server. The POS device also canbe customized with respect to “look and feel” for the particularversion. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the POS interface provides forbilling, status and payment with respect to orders. A myriad of optionscan be provided depending on the application.

Advanced database functions are provided in the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, including an automated download process onto handhelddevices and/or Web sites. In the preferred embodiment, the menugeneration system of the present invention uses an API called ActiveXData Objects (“ADO”) for database access. ADO is useful in a variety ofsettings. It is built on top of OLE DB and can be used to talk todatabases and, in the future, any data source with any OLE DB driver.Advanced querying is supported. The database can be queried on virtuallyall fields. Queries can be built using SQL syntax for experienced usersor can be created using a query builder which guides users through thecreating process. Advanced error handling is supported. Errors occurringat run time can be trapped. A descriptive message is displayed to alertthe user and provide error information. However, the application doesnot terminate when the errors happen. The source code is easy tomaintain and modify, thus allowing for on time delivery of customizedversions of the software. The advanced database functions producewell-designed databases that accommodate growth and scalability.

The inventive menu generation approach provides a solution for thepervasive connectivity and computerization needs of the restaurant andrelated markets. The inventive solution includes automatic databasemanagement and synchronization, PDA and handheld wireless operatingsystem integration and optimization, wireless communications andinternet connectivity, user interface design, and graphics design.

In the preferred embodiment, the menu generation approach of the presentinvention uses Windows CE® as the operating system for the handhelddevices. Windows CE® provides the benefits of a familiar Windows95/98/NT® look and feel, built-in synchronization between handhelddevices, internet and desktop infrastructure, compatibility withMicrosoft Exchange®, Microsoft Office 9® and TCP/IP quick access toinformation with instant-on feature.

Windows CE® provides a basic set of database and communication tools fordeveloper use. However, interfacing with these tools to provideapplication specific results can be a complex task. In addition to themenu generation described above, a set of software libraries describedherein in conformance with the present invention not only enhances thebasic Windows CE® functionality by adding new features but alsomaximizes the full potential of wireless handheld computing devices.Such features include fast synchronization between a central databaseand multiple handheld devices, synchronization and communication betweena Web server and multiple handheld devices, a well-defined API thatenables third parties such as POS companies, affinity program companiesand internet content providers to fully integrate with computerizedhospitality applications, real-time communication over the internet withdirect connections or regular modem dialup connections and support forbatch processing that can be done periodically throughout the day tokeep multiple sites in synch with the central database.

The synchronous communications control module discussed above provides asingle point of entry for all hospitality applications to communicatewith one another wirelessly or over the Web. This communications moduleis a layer that sits on top of any communication protocol and acts as aninterface between hospitality applications and the communicationprotocol. This layer can be easily updated to work with a newcommunication protocol without having to modify the core hospitalityapplications. The single point of entry works to keep all wirelesshandheld devices and linked Web sites in synch with the backofficeserver (central database) so that the different components are inequilibrium at any given time and an overall consistency is achieved.For example, a reservation made online is automatically communicated tothe backoffice server which then synchronizes with all the wirelesshandheld devices wirelessly. Similarly, changes made on any of thewireless handheld devices will be reflected instantaneously on thebackoffice server and the other handheld devices.

The software applications for performing the functions falling withinthe described invention can be written in any commonly used computerlanguage. The discrete programming steps are commonly known and thusprogramming details are not necessary to a full description of theinvention.

A simple point-to-point wireless capability is contemplated whichpermits simple digital messages to be sent from the wireless handhelddevices to a receiver in a beeper and/or valet parking base-station. ThePOS interface of FIG. 7 is representative of the display on a typicalwireless device used in conformity with the invention. A simple protocolis used to acknowledge receipt of the message and thus simultaneouscommunication is not necessary, which reduces the cost of the wirelesslink. The range of the wireless link is determined by thecharacteristics of the radio transceiver. Adding a wireless link allowspaging of beeper equipped customers directly from the operator interfaceon the wireless handheld devices and communication to and from variousinput/output transmitters and receivers to update the status of theorder, reservation or other information and thus further reduce theworkload on the operator and enable operations to proceed much faster.This link could also be hardwired or otherwise implemented using anytwo-way messaging transport.

A further aspect of the invention is the use of the menus generated inaccordance with the described technique to place orders from wirelessremote handheld devices or from remote locations through the internet.The World Wide Web is a distributed hypermedia computer system that usesthe internet to facilitate global hypermedia communication usingspecified protocols. One such protocol is the Hypertext TransferProtocol (“HTTP”), which facilitates communication of hypertextHypertext is the combination of information and links to otherinformation. In the context of the Web, hypertext is defined by theHypertext Mark-up Language (“HTML”). The links or hyperlinks in a HTMLdocument reference the locations of resources on the Web, such as otherHTML documents. Another language used in creating documents for use onthe Worldwide Web, to display on computer screens, or to create speechstyle sheets for use in, e.g., telephones, is the Extensible Mark-UpLanguage (“XML”). XML is a “metalanguage”, i.e., a language fordescribing languages which was developed to eliminate the restrictionsof HTML.

The Web is a client-server system. The HTML documents are stored on Webserver computers, typically in a hierarchical fashion with the rootdocument being referred to as the home page. The client specifies a HTMLdocument or other source on the server by transmitting a UniformResource Locator (“URL”) which specifies the protocol to use, e.g.,HTTP, the path to the server directory in which the resource is located,and filename of the resource. Users retrieve the documents via clientcomputers. The software running on the user's client computer thatenables the user to view HTML documents on the computer's video monitorand enter selections using the computer's keyboard and mouse is known asa browser. The browser typically includes a window in which the user maytype a URL. A user may cause a URL to be transmitted by typing it in thedesignated window on the browser or by maneuvering the cursor to aposition on the displayed document that corresponds to a hyperlink to aresource and actuating the mouse button. The latter method is commonlyreferred to simply as “clicking on the hot-spot” or “clicking on thehyperlink”. The hyperlink methodology is contemplated for use inaccordance with the preferred embodiment to transmit orders via theinternet.

Web server application software exists that enables a user to shop forand order merchandise. Such systems are sometimes referred to aselectronic merchandising systems or virtual storefronts. Systems thatenable a user to choose among several retailers' goods are sometimesreferred to as electronic malls. An electronic retailer's or electronicmall operator's Web server provides HTML forms that include images anddescriptions of merchandise. The user may conventionally search for anitem by entering a key word search query in a box on a form. When a userselects an item, the server may provide a linked form that describesthat item in further detail. The user may also conventionally enterordering information into boxes on the form, such as the type andquantity of the item desired. The information entered by the user istransmitted to the server. The user may select multiple items in thismanner and then enter a credit card number to pay for the purchases. Theretailer processes the transaction and ships the order to the customer.As can be appreciated, ordering merchandise can also be done from menus.The generation of menus of items or merchandise for sale over theinternet is readily accomplished by the menu generation approach of thepresent invention.

Searching for items that the user is interested in purchasing isinsufficient in prior merchandising systems. Database managementprograms use index searching to facilitate rapid searching of largeamounts of data. The creator of the database may instruct the program touse specified fields in the database as indexed or key fields. Theprogram locates all terms in the database that appear in the indexedfields and stores them in an index table. Each entry in the index tableincludes a term and corresponding pointer to the location in thedatabase where the term is found. If a user initiates a search for aterm that is present in the index table, the program can locate theinstances of that term in the database with exceptional speed. Users whoare familiar with the particular database they are searching willgenerally know which fields are indexed and will know the format of thedata in those fields. For example, a user of a database containing theinventory of a bookstore may know that users can search for the names ofauthors of books and that a user who wishes to do so should enter theauthor's last name first. A user having such knowledge will therefore beable to search efficiently. Users of electronic merchandising systems,however, are generally end-consumers who have no knowledge of amerchant's database. If, as is very likely, such a user initiates asearch for a term that is not present in the index table, the programmust sequentially search through all records in the database. Sequentialrecords are typically linked by pointers. Using pointers in this manneris very demanding on server resources, resulting not only in anexceptionally slow search, but also creating a bottleneck for otherprocesses that the server may be executing. The menu generation approachof the present invention can be used to create customized menus from adatabase that includes every item of merchandise the vendor has forsale. In this manner, customers can scan the generated menu much morereadily than they could view the entire database and the necessity ofhaving familiarity with the database is eliminated as well, reducing theneed for resource intensive pointers.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention is for the generation ofrestaurant menus and the like, the broad scope of the invention is fargreater. For example, menus generated in accordance with the inventioncan be used in the desktop computing environment in association with theoperating system or application programs. One such use is to facilitatethe creation of user personalized file structures for general desktopuse. Another use is to facilitate the location of customized menus frommaster menus for use in association with application software to makethe execution of the application software more efficient by, e.g.,eliminating the necessity of querying or checking every tree branch inthe master menu file structure in response to user input or othercriteria and to create handheld/PDA compatible versions of the software.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention includes the selectionof items from a master menu wherein the master menu is displayed using agraphical user interface, it is to be appreciated that any means fordisplaying the master menu to the user and generating another menu inresponse to and comprised of the selections made is encompassed by thecontemplated invention. The invention encompasses the selection ofnontextual symbols, characters, icons and the like, in addition to text,from a hierarchical tree menu or the like for generation of another menucomprised of such items.

It is also within the scope of the invention to generate menusautomatically in response to predetermined criteria. For example, in therestaurant menu generation embodiment, a modified menu can be generatedto comply with a particular specification or group of criteria such as,e.g., “dinner”, “low cholesterol”, “low fat”, “fish”, “chicken”, or“vegetarian”. In this embodiment, only items from the master menu thatsatisfy specified parameters will be included in the generated menu. Theselection process could involve selection of master menu items based ontags or identifiers associated with the items or by checking everymaster menu item against a dictionary of items acceptable for inclusionin the modified menu. It should also be appreciated that the inventionencompasses any combination of automatic and manual user selection ofthe items comprising the generated menu. For example, a user mightspecify criteria which would further control automatic selection or theuser could manually select some items with automatic selection ofothers. The menu generation aspect of the invention is equallyapplicable to table-based, drive-thru, internet, telephone, wireless orother modes of customer order entry, as is the synchronouscommunications aspect of the invention.

The inventive concept encompasses the generation of a menu in anycontext known to those skilled in the art where an objective is tofacilitate display of the menu so as to enable selection of items fromthat menu. The restaurant menu generation embodiment is but one exampleof a use for the inventive concept. Likewise, displaying menus generatedin accordance with the invention on PDAs and Web pages to facilitateremote ordering are but a few examples of ways in which such a menumight be used in practice. Any display and transmission means known tothose skilled in the art is equally usable with respect to menusgenerated in accordance with the claimed invention.

In the more general situation, menus can be generated in accordance withthe present invention in a variety of situations. For example, theusable file structure for a particular data processing application canbe dictated by the user or an application program prior to or during theexecution of the application program. Efficiencies with respect tocomputational speed and equipment, e.g., storage and processor, usagecan thus be achieved along with the facilitation of display of thegenerated menu.

While the best mode for carrying out the preferred embodiment of theinvention has been illustrated and described in detail, those familiarwith the art to which the invention relates will recognize variousalternative designs and embodiments which fall within the spirit ofpracticing the invention. The appended claims are intended to cover allthose changes and modifications falling within the true spirit and scopeof the present invention.

1. An information management and synchronous communications system forgenerating and transmitting menus comprising: a. a central processingunit, b. a data storage device connected to said central processingunit, c. an operating system including a graphical user interface, d. afirst menu consisting of menu categories, said menu categoriesconsisting of menu items, said first menu stored on said data storagedevice and displayable in a window of said graphical user interface in ahierarchical tree format, e. a modifier menu stored on said data storagedevice and displayable in a window of said graphical user interface, f.a sub-modifier menu stored on said data storage device and displayablein a window of said graphical user interface, and g. applicationsoftware for generating a second menu from said first menu andtransmitting said second menu to a wireless handheld computing device orWeb page, wherein the application software facilitates the generation ofthe second menu by allowing selection of categories and items from thefirst menu, addition of menu categories to the second menu, addition ofmenu items to the second menu and assignment of parameters to items inthe second menu using the graphical user interface of said operatingsystem, said parameters being selected from the modifier andsub-modifier menus, wherein said second menu is manually modified aftergeneration.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the modified second menucan be selectively printed on any printer directly from the graphicaluser interface of a hand-held device.
 3. The system of claim 1 whereinthe modified second menu can be linked to a specific customer at aspecific table directly from the graphical user interface of a hand-helddevice.
 4. An information management and synchronous communicationssystem for generating menus comprising: a. a central processing unit, b.a data storage device connected to said central processing unit, c. anoperating system including a graphical user interface, d. a first menustored on said data storage device, e. application software forgenerating a second menu from said first menu, wherein the applicationsoftware facilitates the generation of the second menu by allowingselection of items from the first menu, addition of items to the secondmenu and assignment of parameters to items in the second menu using thegraphical user interface of said operating system and wherein datacomprising the second menu is synchronized between the data storagedevice connected to the central processing unit and at least one othercomputing device, wherein said second menu is manually modified byhandwriting or voice recording after generation.
 5. An informationmanagement and synchronous communications system for generating menuscomprising: a. a microprocessor, b. a display device, c. a data andinstruction input device, d. a data storage device for storinginformation and instructions entered through said data and instructioninput means or information generated by said microprocessor, e. anoperating system, f. a master menu stored on said data storage devicefor generating a modified menu, and g. application software, whereinsaid microprocessor, operating system and application software areoperative to display the master menu on the display device in responseto instructions programmed into said microprocessor, operating system,application software and information and instructions entered throughsaid data input device, and wherein said microprocessor, operatingsystem and application software are operative to create the modifiedmenu from said master menu in response to information and instructionsentered through said data and instruction input device and wherein datacomprising the modified menu is synchronized between the data storagedevice and at least one other computing device, wherein said modifiedmenu is manually modified after generation.
 6. The informationmanagement and synchronous communications system of claim 1, 4, or 5wherein the manual modification involves handwriting capture.
 7. Thesystem of claim 6 wherein the handwriting capture involves handwritingrecognition and conversion to text.
 8. The information management andsynchronous communications system of claim 1, 4, or 5 wherein the manualmodification involves voice capture.
 9. The system of claim 8 whereinthe voice capture involves voice recognition and conversion to text. 10.The system of claim 4 or 5 wherein the modified second menu can beselectively printed on any printer directly from the graphical userinterface of said other computing device.
 11. The system of claim 4 or 5wherein the modified second menu can be linked to a specific customer ata specific table directly from the graphical user interface of saidother computing device.
 12. In a computer system having an input device,a storage device, a video display, an operating system including agraphical user interface and application software, an informationmanagement and synchronous communications method comprising the stepsof: a. outputting at least one window on the video display; b.outputting a fist menu in a window on the video display; c. displaying acursor on the video display; d. selecting items from the first menu withthe input device or the graphical user interface; e. inserting the itemsselected from the first menu into a second menu, the second menu beingoutput in a window; f. optionally adding additional items not includedin the first menu to the second menu using the input device or thegraphical user interface; g. storing the second menu on the storagedevice; and synchronizing the data comprising the second menu betweenthe storage device and at least one other data storage medium, whereinthe other data storage medium is connected to or is part of a differentcomputing device, and wherein said second menu is manually modifiedafter generation.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the manualmodification involves handwriting capture.
 14. The method of claim 13wherein the handwriting capture involves handwriting recognition andconversion to text.
 15. The method of claim 12 wherein the manualmodification involves voice capture.
 16. The method of claim 15 whereinthe voice capture involves voice recognition and conversion to text.